insects

noun

plural of insect
as in shrimp
a person of no importance or influence the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insects Handley notes that basil’s strong scent helps keep many insects away from homes, including flies, mosquitoes, aphids, and thrips. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 21 Aug. 2026 Pollinating insects like bees that are capable of doing that work are scarce and in high demand in the Arctic. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Air-conditioning and screens on windows and doors can also help keep mosquitoes out of your home, as can making sure there is no standing water where the insects can lay their eggs. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2026 Scientists believe diseases that jump from animals or insects to humans are spreading faster because of deforestation, urbanization and global warming. — Zane Irwin, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The health department tests for infected mosquitoes by collecting the insects from hundreds of locations across the city. — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Bug Bite Thing Suction Tool, $12 Mosquito bites may be a summertime rite of passage, but these pesky insects don’t stop biting after the autumnal equinox. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Aug. 2026 The restaurant was ordered to close immediately, clean and sanitize the kitchen and check for any points of entry for the insects. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026 The potential harm to the environment is high, as any insecticides applied can kill pollinators and other beneficial insects in addition to the pest. — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insects
  1. shrimp
  2. ciphers
  3. lightweights
  4. nobodies
  5. dwarfs
Noun
  • Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.
    — Janelle Davis, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
  • Brine shrimp are a critical food source for the aquaculture industry.
    — Evan Bush, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2023
Definition of shrimp
Noun
  • Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.
    — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of ciphers
Noun
  • Jupiter, by comparison, is as much as 35 times denser than these two lightweights.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).
    — Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of lightweights
Noun
  • In the trailer, the civilians are selling themselves as a new breed of nobodies.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of nobodies
Noun
  • This is why a major question in the field is whether or not rocky planet atmospheres can even survive at all around M dwarfs.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • And the question is whether the planets even have atmospheres, because M dwarfs are quite active.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 July 2026
Definition of dwarfs

Browse Nearby Words

insectivores
insects
insecure
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Cite this Entry

“Insects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insects. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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